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This course is written and instructed by Elaine Dickson, who many of you already know as the author and instructor of our Dental Insurance and Dental to Medical Cross Coding Courses. Elaine will share proven strategies to help put more of the dollars you produce exactly where they belong, into the practice's bank account.
After all, what good does it do to produce dollars, if they prove to be uncollectible in the long run? There really is no magic involved, just pure and simple common sense. The underlying theme of this course will be "cause and effect". We will focus on basic principles, which if learned and put into practice, will eliminate the need for collection of past due accounts. In addition to learning how to establish an effective accounts receivable management system participants in this course will learn the proper protocol for handling any balances currently showing as past due in the practice receivables files.
Grading Policy:
Overall assessment for this course is based on the final exam.
Continuing Education Credits:
Dentists (20 CEUs) ADA and the California Dental Board
CDPMAs (6 CEUs) Dental Assisting National Board
CDAs (3 CEUs) Dental Assisting National Board
(20 hour course / Access for 8-weeks) Tuition: $395.00
Course Modules:
Unit 1 - The Importance of Structured Financial Guidelines
- Effective communication of fees and financial agreements
- Top twelve key elements to consider when developing a financial policy for your practice
- Sample Financial Policy
- Sample Insurance Authorization/Release Form
- Sample Patient Financial Information hand-out for Non-Participating Providers
Unit 2 - Selecting the Right Team Member/Financial Coordinator
- Important attributes to look for and why
- Personality Profile - why is this important?
- Financial Coordinator Assessment Questionnaire - Pre-Screen to Determine Qualifications (also includes answer key to help you analyze results)
Unit 3 - The Psychology behind Financial Agreements
- Patient Perception is Reality!
- Role playing exercises to encourage patients to accept responsibility for fees incurred, regardless of dental insurance
- Body language
- Posture
- Voice tone and inflection
- Professional atmosphere
Unit 4 - Communicating Responsibility for Full Fees Incurred
- Begins with the first phone contact
- Telephone Information Slip and How to Use it
- Role Playing exercises for the top two questions asked by a new patient on the telephone
Unit 5 - Dental Insurance: Friend or Foe?
- Key is knowledge of plan specifics and carrier processing policies
- Change the way you view insurance
- Obligation as a provider is diagnosis, treatment alternatives, risks and consequences
- Stop allowing insurance to dictate care
- Effective insurance management check list
Unit 6 - Valid Financial Agreements
- Getting down to the nitty gritty of financial agreements
- Signed, sealed, and delivered!
- Sample Dental Treatment Estimate Form
- In-House Financing - "To Be or Not to Be"
- Non-Recourse Outside Lenders
- Credit Reporting
- Truth in Lending - Sample Truth in Lending Statement
Unit 7 - Effective Accounts Receivable Management
- What to do when an account becomes past due
- Types of offenders
- Seven Secrets to Getting Paid on Time
- Risk of not getting paid increases with age
Unit 8 - The Laws of Collection
- Fair Debt Collection Practice Act
- Top Two Collection Rules
- Basic laws for collection of past due accounts
- Rules for communicating with patients who have past due balances
- Worthless checks
- Post dated checks
Unit 9 - Dependent Children and Your Accounts Receivable
- Divorced or separated parents - who is responsible for payment? This unit provides suggested financial guidelines for handling this situation, as well as providing sample verbal skills for communicating them to parents
- Dependent Students - The common pitfalls involved in receiving timely reimbursement from dental insurance after a child reaches age 19 and how to overcome these
- Parents Living out of Area - Financial guidelines for handling new patients who are students but parents live out of area and have no relationship with your practice
- Last word on dependent children - protection of privacy and confirmation of financial responsibility once child reaches age 18
Unit 10 - Effective Collection Calls/Collection Letters
- Positioning ourselves to get paid
- Seven steps that make up a proper collection call
- Active listening for patient concerns
- Overcoming objections to pay
- Divorced or separated excuse
- Creating urgency to pay now
- Effective billing protocol
- Sample collection letters in order of urgency/time outstanding
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